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Sunday, April 27, 2014

Tutorial : Mini Charm Patchwork Pouch

Hey friends! I am excited to share a quick and easy pouch tutorial with you today and its all about the dots! It's no secret that I love some polka dots and when our Moda rep came around with the Dottie collection samples, I was pretty much all in!

This tutorial uses Linen Mochi Dots for the exterior, Essential Dots for the lining and Dottie Mini Charms for the accent strip on the exterior. (Please note that the Dottie collection comes in all shades of colors, it just happens that I made this particular pouch in the greys and blacks. You can actually get 4 of these pouches from one mini charm pack as you use 10 squares in each pouch.)

We do have kits available here. (Please note Kits include FQs of exterior and lining fabrics and a half yard of interfacing, so your kit will allow you to make 2 pouches - just add zippers and thread of your choice. A Clover Sunshine Thread Sampler is a great way to get a rainbow of thread easily, but we have colors by the ball as well.)

Step 1: Make the Patchwork Accent Panel
Choose 10 mini charm squares and sew them together in two rows of 5 squares as shown below. Press when finished.

Step 2: Prepare the Front & Back Panels and Lining Pieces
From the main exterior fabric, cut one 8 x 10.5" rectangle for the back, one 1.5" x 10.5" strip, and one 3" x 10.5" strip for the front.

From the lining, cut two 8" x 10.5" rectangles.

Sew the 1.5" and 3" exterior fabric strips to the top and bottom respectively of the patchwork panel as shown. Press toward the patchwork squares.

Next, cut two 8 x 10.5" pieces of interfacing and use to the back of the front and back exterior pieces. Follow the manufacturer's directions for fusing the interfacing using a hot iron.

Next, using a large running stitch, hand stitch a line of stitches above and below the patchwork strip on the front panel. Knot the ends to hold the stitching in place. Don't worry if your stitches aren't totally even. (If you prefer perfection - check out the Tiger Tape we carry to help you achieve even stitches. :-)

Step 3: Install the Zipper
Lay a 10-inch zipper face down on top of your front panel. I positioned mine so the zipper opens to the right and so that the metal stop at the end of the zipper was just to the inside of 1/2" from the edge of the fabric. (See photo referenced below.)

Using your zipper foot, baste the zipper in place with a line of stitches close to the edge of the zipper tape.

Now, lay a 8" x 10.5" lining piece face down on top of the zipper and front panel. (Note: your fabrics will be right sides together.) Adjust your needle position so that you will stitch a little closer to the zipper teeth this time from where you basted the zipper in place previously.

When you get close to the zipper pull, stop stitching, leave the needle down and lift the presser foot to allow you to move the zipper pull out of the way. Then keep stitching!

Once you've gotten this side of the zipper sewn in, it should look like this...

For reference, see how I've positioned the zipper stop just inside the 1/2" seam I will sew later. (If you are using a longer zipper this isn't a big deal.)

Sew the other side of the zipper to the back panel in the same way. Baste to the exterior then add the lining.

Top stitch along both sides of the zipper. Do not top stitch through the lining - this is JUST the exterior and the zipper tape - move the lining out of the way for this step!

You should catch the edge of the zipper tape here to just tack everything in place neatly.

Now are are ready to finish this up!

Step 4: Finish the Pouch
Lay your pouch out so that the linings are right sides together and the exterior panels are right sides together. (In the photo below, I have pulled the exterior over to show you that the linings are right sides together.)
BE SURE YOUR ZIPPER IS HALF WAY OPEN!

Line up the zipper, exterior and lining panels. Pin and sew 1/2" seam all the way around the pouch. Leave a 2.5" hole in the bottom of the lining to turn the pouch later.

Box the corners by pinching them and lining up the side and bottom seams. Use a ruler and a removable fabric marker to mark a line approximately 1" from the point. (The line should be ~ 2 inches in length as shown.) Pin and mark all the corners.

Sew along the line, backstitching at both ends to secure your stitches. Trim away the excess of all four corners leaving a 1/4" seam allowance.

Carefully trim the zipper ends away from the stitching to help reduce some of the bulk in this area. Don't clip your stitches!

Turn your pouch right side out through the hole in the lining. Slip stitch or machine stitch close to the edge of the opening in the bottom of the lining.

Stuff the lining inside the pouch, carefully push out the corners and iron as needed. Then admire your work!

Here's another one I made with some other squares from my Dottie mini charm pack ...

I was lucky enough to get a mini charm pack from Kate Spain of her new Horizon collection (due out this fall) and here's what that looks like ...

Cute huh?

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. If you make your own mini charm patchwork pouch, I'd love to see it - share a link in the comments or tag me on Instragram (@sewlux) and #isewwithsewlux.